June 25, 2026
Donald Trump started a war with Iran without real public consent — and now he wants Congress to hand him nearly $88 billion more.
The White House just formally asked Congress for $87.6 billion in emergency spending, with roughly $67 billion headed to the Pentagon for costs tied to Trump’s Iran war. That includes money for munitions, operations, military readiness, weapons stockpiles, and classified programs — all while families across the country are struggling with rent, groceries, healthcare, and other basic costs.
This is exactly how endless wars get funded: first with unauthorized escalation, then with emergency spending demands, then with pressure on Congress to rubber-stamp the bill after the damage is done. Lawmakers must not reward Trump and Pete Hegseth with a blank check for a war the American people never asked for.
Nearly $88 billion could strengthen schools, expand healthcare, feed families, repair infrastructure, or lower costs for working people. Instead, Trump wants to pour tens of billions into bombs, deployments, weapons replenishment, and the fallout from a conflict his administration launched on its own.
And the administration is not just asking for war money. It is packaging the request with farm aid, Ebola response funding, infrastructure money, and other add-ons — a classic Washington tactic designed to make a dangerous war bill look like a must-pass emergency package.
Congress has already shown it can push back. Just before this request landed, lawmakers voted to rein in Trump’s war powers and demand congressional approval for continued military action against Iran. Now Congress must follow through by refusing to fund further escalation.
If lawmakers approve this request, they could open the door to even more war spending later. But if they say no, they can force accountability, demand public debate, and make clear that no president gets to start a war first and send taxpayers the bill later.
Thanks for everything you do.
Josh
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